CALL FOR PAPERS
Biology and Fertility of Soils is seeking for submission to a special issue entitled “Resource Stoichiometric and fertility in soil” edited by Tida Ge, Yu Luo and Bhupinder Pal Singh.
Ecological stoichiometry has been a centerpiece of ecological theory for over 80 years, and the stoichiometric theory used elemental ratios to predict elmental cycling, like, organic matter decomposition, nutrient retention, from microbial cell to ecosystem scales. Most of recent stoichiometry studies are limited in aquatic environments. It requires consideration of biogeochemical fluxes along the terrestrial system. Nutrient availability and its C:N:P stoichiometric ratios are critical in the regulation of nutrient transformation, substrate C (e.g. plant rhizodeposition) and soil organic C (SOC) mineralization in agroecosystems. Agriculture practice has led to significant increase of anthropogenic inputs of nutrients and C into ecosystems. The effects of resource input on soil C dynamics have been interpreted using the theories of “nutrient mining” or “microbial stoichiometry”. These theories predict that activity, biomass and composition of microbial communities are driven by microbial demand for resources, like C, energy, nutrients, etc. Stoichiometry allows deep understanding of biological organization at different scales, from cellular metabolism, e.g. an optimal C:N:P ratio of microbes, to agrosystem. However, studies on the relationship of stoichiometry of microbial biomass, enzyme activities and community composition with elemental cycling in agriculture ecosystem, like SOC mineralization and plant nutrients uptakes, is still limited.
This special issue aims to bring together a number of studies to provide quantitative and mechanistic insights into key processes that govern nutrient and C dynamics, like substrate derived C decomposition and priming of SOC mineralization, with implications for soil C storage. The cutting-edge techniques, including C isotope, biomarkers and molecular biology (high-throughput gene sequencing) have been applied to address the effects of agricultural practices and global environmental changes on soil C dynamics. Results from these studies will, indeed, enhance our understanding of elemental biogeochemical processes, such as how C dynamics is regulated by resource stoichiometric , and also unravel the link between elemental biogeochemical processes and resource stoichiometric in terrestrial ecosystems (stoichiometric based on processes).
Submissions Process: Submissions are due by 30 November 2019 on the following website https://www.editorialmanager.com/bfso/default.aspx. When submitting a manuscript for the special issue, it is crucial that corresponding authors follow the steps below (otherwise the manuscript will not be recognized as being part of the Special Issue):
Peer Review: All manuscript will be peer-reviewed by 2-4 independent reviewers and handled by the Guest Editors, in collaboration with the Journal’s Editor in Chief. Special issue papers accepted for publication in the special issue will be available online very soon after acceptance, and before inclusion in the special issue.
Contact: If you have any queries, please don’t hesitate to contact the Editor in Chief (paolo.nannipieri@unifi.it) or the Managing Editor (Giacomo.pietramellara@unifi.it).
Special Issue Editors:
Dr. Tida Ge
Email: gtd@isa.ac.cn
Dr. Yu Luo
Email: luoyu@zju.edu.cn
Dr. Bhupinder Pal Singh
Email: bp.singh@dpi.nsw.gov.au